Remembering 9/11

It started off as an ordinary September day but quickly turned to smoke-filled skies and streets full of terrified people. As the people of New York City started their daily routines, they were interrupted by a horrific terrorist attack. This attack would devastate the nation and change it forever. Below is a timeline of the events that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001.

[Legacy Remembers 9/11]

7:59 a.m. – American Airlines Flight 11 takes off from Boston’s Logan International Airport. The airplane, a Boeing 767 on its way to Los Angeles, carries 92 people on board.

8:15 a.m. – United Airlines Flight 175 also takes off from Boston. This Boeing 767 heads to Los Angeles with 65 people on board.

8:19 a.m. – American Airlines ground personnel receive a call from the flight attendants aboard Flight 11 saying that their plane had been hijacked. American Airlines immediately notifies the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

8:40 a.m. – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) alerts North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) about the hijacking of Flight 11. In response, NORAD sends two fighter jets from Cape Cod’s Air National Guard Base to locate and follow Flight 11.

8:41 a.m. – Another United Airlines Flight, Flight 93, takes off from Newark International Airport in New Jersey. This Boeing 757, on its way to San Francisco, has 44 people aboard.

8:46 a.m. – American Airlines Flight 11 crashes into floors 93-99 of the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York. The crash killed everyone on board the airplane as well as hundreds of people inside the North Tower. The two fighter jets in charge of locating and following Flight 11 weren’t even in the air yet. Within seconds, the New York Police Department and the New York City Fire Department dispatch units to the World Trade Center.

8:50 a.m. – The White House Chief of Staff notifies President George W. Bush, who was visiting an elementary school in Sarasota, Florida, that an airplane had crashed into the World Trade Center.

9:03 a.m. – United Airlines Flight 175 crashes into floors 75-85 of the World Trade Center’s South Tower, killing everyone on board and hundreds of people inside the building.

9:08 a.m. – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), instructs that all takeoffs of flights going to New York be delayed until further notice.

9:24 a.m. – The FAA receives calls from family members of people on Flight 77 saying that their loved one’s flight had been hijacked. The FAA notifies NORAD.

9:37 a.m. – Hijackers aboard Flight 77 crash the Boeing 757 into the western side of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., killing 59 of the 64 people on board, and 125 military and civilian personnel inside the Pentagon.

9:45 a.m. – After rumors of continued attacks, the White House and U.S. Capitol buildings evacuate their citizens and personnel.

9:52 a.m. – The FAA grounds all flights over or en route to the United States. Around 3,300 commercial airplanes and 1,200 private airplanes are re-routed to airports in Canada and the United States.

9:59 a.m. – 56 minutes after the initial crash of Flight 175, the South Tower collapses.

10:07 a.m. – After learning about the other attacks, passengers and crew members aboard the hijacked Flight 93 attempt to retake the plane. In response, the hijackers crash the plane into a field in Pennsylvania, killing everyone on board.

10:28 a.m. – 102 minutes after the initial crash of Flight 11, the North Tower collapses.

6:58 p.m. – Bush returns to the White House and later addresses the nation, calling the attacks that occurred that day “evil, despicable and acts of terror” and announced that America would “stand together to win the war against terrorism.”

Lower Manhattan is covered in smoke from terrorists attaches on 9/11. (From the 9/11 photos stream on Flickr Creative Commons.)

Where Were You?

Many Americans remember where they were and what they were doing during the Sept. 11 attack, including teachers at Legacy. Mr. Howard Ritz watched the damage caused by the first plane crash from his classroom at Burleson High School. When the second plane hit, the whole room became silent.

Ritz’s daughter lived in New York City at the time, only blocks away from the World Trade Center. After repeatedly calling her and never hearing back, Ritz began to worry.

“I had no way of knowing where she was,” Ritz said. “I was numb and in denial.”

Ritz finally received a call back from his daughter saying she was fine. She had been busy working, unaware of what had occurred.

Ms. Debbie Larimore was working at Worley Middle School at the time of the attack. She found out about the first plane crash when one of her co-workers asked for a television to watch the news. While Larimore and her co-worker watched, the second plane hit.

“I was crying,” Larimore said. “The whole world changed.”

That night, Larimore played Bunco with her friends and donated all the money to the Red Cross to help with the devastating damage done by the attack.

While getting ready for work, Mr. Jonathan Szostek heard about the attack after a radio announcement reported that an airplane had crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. After learning that another plane had crashed into the World Trade Center, he realized that it wasn’t just an accident but an act of terrorism. Later while driving through downtown Dallas, Szostek noticed the lack of traffic on the road, seeing only three or four vehicles the entire drive.

“It was like a ghost town,” Szostek said. “It was literally like the world was standing still to see what would happen next.”

What’s Changed

Several things have changed since the shocking and disastrous attack on the World Trade Center 13 years ago. Some changes are obvious while some the average civilian wouldn’t notice.

Airports: Airports throughout the United States made some major changes following 9/11. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has taken airport security to a higher level, including such measures as:

-Full-body screenings and increased pat-downs

-All baggage must be screened

-No liquids above 3.4 ounces allowed past the checkpoint

-Shoes must be taken off during the scanning process

-Thorough I.D. check before entering the terminal areas

-Cockpit to remain locked during the flight

-Federal Air Marshals to be put on certain flights

Emergency Services: During the events of 9/11, police, fire, and ambulance services from all over New York were dispatched to the scene. However, at the time none of them could communicate with one another. This made things challenging and slowed rescue missions. Today, each emergency service department is required to have a certain frequency which can be used to communicate with other emergency services.

Event Security: Whether it be major sporting events or concerts, stricter security has been put in place since 9/11. Large bags are checked before entering the site, and an increased number of security officers work these events.

Legacy Remembers

Current location, memorial, at the World Trade Center in NYC. (From the 9/11 photos stream on Flickr Creative Commons.)

Shelene Anderson (Social Studies Teacher)
“I was terrified. My mom called me and said turn the TV on. I was on the phone with her, watching the TV and I had the horrible sinking feeling that I was going to be called back to duty. I was an Arabic languish in the military, and I knew we would go to the Middle East after this. I was terrified that I would be pulled back in and horrified that it happened in the first place. If I could say one thing to the families of the people that were lost that day, just I’m so sorry. We were all victims that day. It was horrible.” (Ashley Richardson)

John Davis (Physics Teacher)
“I was teaching at Mansfield High School at the time. It was in between classes and these kids came running in saying ‘They’re bombing New York!’ I pull in the TV, and I turn it on as the next class came in. We decided to watch because it was history. It was very surreal. When the second plane hit, we thought it was a replay. It was crazy.”
(Sarah Pearson)

Jonathan Szostek (PAP Chemistry Teacher)
“While I was getting ready for work I heard about the attack after a radio announcement reported that an airplane had crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. After the second plane hit I realized that it wasn’t an accident but an act of terrorism. Later, while driving through downtown Dallas I noticed the lack of traffic on the road, seeing only three or four vehicles the entire drive. It was like a ghost town. It was literally like the world was standing still to see what would happen next. (Jacob Friedberg)

Adam Hoffmann (Band Director)
“I was in college and had just gotten back from my 8 a.m. music theory class and turned on the TV. It was after the first plane hit but before the second. I was watching ABC News and woke up my roommate, asking him if he knew about what was happening. We watched the live feed for three hours in disbelief. They canceled classes for the rest of the day, so my friends and I hung out in the fraternity house and talked about what these attacks meant for our country.” (Rebekah Rosenstein)

My wife and I were on a trip to the Florida keys with her father. We were deep sea fishing off the coast of Key Largo when the skipper received a call that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. When we got back to shore our phones were full of messages. We turned on the tv just as the second plane hit. We sat for five minutes in awe of what we had just seen. Then it was action time. We worked out a way to get the last large car, we were in a mustang convertible, from the Miami Dade airport and drove straight through the night from Miami to Dallas listening to everything unfold on the radio as we drove. I will never forget.